As Labor Day approaches, here’s a look at key labor indicators for Ohio manufacturers:

• Ohio currently has an estimated 660,500 manufacturing jobs — roughly 40,000 fewer than in mid-2019, but about 2,000 more than in mid-2020.
• Ohio’s labor force participation rate stood at 60.5% as of July, down from nearly 64% in January 2020.
• Ohio’s unemployment rate stands at 5.4%, but the jobless rates of all 88 counties vary widely, as shown by this list and this map. (Note: Ohio’s first-time jobless claims jumped significantly last week.)

OhioMeansJobs.com currently lists more than 210,000 available jobs statewide. More than 25,000 of these jobs are in manufacturing. On Indeed.com, there has been a 76.6% jump in manufacturing postings compared to February 2020, according to reports. 9/2/2021